According to World Watch Monitor, stress has killed over a dozen of the girls’ parents since then.

Open Doors has worked closely with the Chibok parents over the past 18 months, including starting a worldwide writing and prayer campaign and providing trauma counseling.

Below are updates about the Chibok community, as shared in recent World Watch Monitor reports:

As Christians around the world prepare to celebrate Christmas with close friends and family members, the Christians in Chibok prepare for another Christmas without their girls.

World Watch Monitor spoke to Yakubu Nkiki Maina, the chairman of the Chibok Abducted School Girls Parents’ Association. His 18-year-old daughter, Maimuna, was among the more than 200 girls abducted from Chibok State Secondary School in April 2014.

Peter Pogu is as skinny as a reed. The tall man is bent over, and on his shoulders rests an invisible burden that seems to weigh as much as the world itself. It has been a year and a half since 14 April, 2014 when his daughter, Grace, phoned him at three in the morning from Chibok Secondary School.

“Our heads are hurting, and our hearts are hurting always. I am carrying my wife to the hospital, and they said she has high blood pressure. That is what is worrying her. And me also, when I hear something about these girls, my tears are coming out, even when I am among our brothers, when they talk about [the girls], and then my tears are coming out always.”

Pastor Ayuba’s daughter, Amina, was among the more than 200 girls Boko Haram abducted from the Chibok State Secondary School in April 2014. Since then, Boko Haram has also burned his church and looted all of his possessions, forcing him to seek refuge with family in a different area.

Some of the parents of the Chibok girls meet for trauma counseling with Open Doors International.(Photo, caption credit Open Doors International via World Watch Monitor)

“Every day, we pray, morning, afternoon and evening. We declare fasting and prayer. So we fast that if it is the will of God, let them come out. If it is not His will, or if it is His will, let it be so. I have entrusted all to God. It is in the hand of God. Whether for good or for bad, she is in the hand of God.”

Nigeria is ranked #10 on the 2015 World Watch List of the 50 worst persecutors of Christians. Active in Nigeria for nearly two decades, Open Doors’ efforts include the following:

Bible distribution

Training and caring for new believers

Cross-cultural ministry training

Ministry skills training

Sunday school training

Development of curriculum

Assistance to Christian schools

Emergency support in crisis situations

Holistic community development

Trauma support

Advocacy

Implementation of socio-economic projects for new believers and widows of Christian leaders who have been killed

The situation for the Chibok girls and their parents is heartbreaking. I can’t imagine anything harder than to have those precious girls taken away by criminals and then to have no word of them in all this time. My heart and my prayers go out for them.